I just finished detailing my 300e yesterday following Lee's regimen of Meguiar's 9,7, 26 and all i can say is damn...i do not remember my car ever looking this brilliant and smooth since the car rolled off the dealer floor. not all the swirl marks or scratches were gone, but that's acceptable given the many years of abuse its taken. thanks Lee and all others who have helped. just one question though: how often should i wax the car now? should i do it every couple of months, or just before the seasons change? i live in the chicago area so we go through some pretty harsh winters here...thanks for the input..

ben

The combination of cleaner and polish and wax *does* look noticeably better than just washing, or even washing and waxing. (It's also a lot more work though. :) ) I've resigned myself to the fact that I'll never be able to get rid of the swirls and scratches without a repaint, but at least I can get the paint to look as good as possible in the condition it's in now.

It's time to wax again whenever the water stops beading up on horizontal surfaces. Since you just waxed it yesterday, I'd say it'll last you until fall arrives in a couple months.

anthony

The 1-2-3 combination really does wake up a finish. If you are having problems with some oxidation or swirls you can spot treat certain areas. #9 works MUCH more effectively using multiple apply/lightly buff/remove cycles versus one or two apply/buff till shoulders sore/remove cycles. Once you've #9'd do #7 on those areas then rewax. Gold Class liquid also does quite well and is easy to use. It also seems to hold up better against outdoor stresses.

How long your wax will last depends heavily on condition. When you notice water not beading up as much or when the finish starts feeling slightly frictional/sticky to the rag then its time. I prefer to polish and rewax at the same time. After each wash (when I'm not polish/waxing) I go over the finish with #34 (aka Quick Detailer). This revitalizes the wax and gives you a very good idea of the condition of the wax.

Hope this helps...Lee